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198th out of 1,973 books
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My Father's Dragon
When Elmer Elevator hears about the plight of an overworked and underappreciated baby flying dragon, he stows away on a ship and travels to Wild Island to rescue the dragon.
Paperback, Omnibus, 96 pages
Published
December 27th 2005
by Yearling
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Finally got through My Father's Dragon with the restless Meteor. He's more of an action kind of guy as opposed to a boy who can be read to. He'd rather wrestle.
Good first chapter book all around, I suppose. A little boring really. The most interesting thing about it, I thought, was that it's had such a long shelf life, (1948), without my ever having heard of it, (my older boys said that they thought they remembered their 3rd grade teacher reading it to them in class) and that it was wr...more
Good first chapter book all around, I suppose. A little boring really. The most interesting thing about it, I thought, was that it's had such a long shelf life, (1948), without my ever having heard of it, (my older boys said that they thought they remembered their 3rd grade teacher reading it to them in class) and that it was wr...more
My Father’s Dragon was written by Ruth Stiles Gannett. This is a fantasy fiction book that has also won n award; it is a Newberry Honor Book. The book starts off when Elmer Elevator is a child but is told through the voice of his son. Elmer Elevator hears about a baby dragon being held on Wild Island from a stray cat he took in. He decides to go and run away from home and rescue it. He stows away on a ship and manages to seek onto the Island of Tangerina, which was right next to Wild Island....more
Annabelle give it 4 Stars.
I thought it was a good book.
Why?
Because it was fun.
What made it fun?
The pictures, I loved looking at them.
What else?
The words. I liked reading them to get a chore done.
Would you recommend this book to others to read?
Yeah, I think other people would like this book.
Like who?
I think Adelyn and Trinity might like it.
What would they like about it?
I think they would sort of things some things would be a ...more
I thought it was a good book.
Why?
Because it was fun.
What made it fun?
The pictures, I loved looking at them.
What else?
The words. I liked reading them to get a chore done.
Would you recommend this book to others to read?
Yeah, I think other people would like this book.
Like who?
I think Adelyn and Trinity might like it.
What would they like about it?
I think they would sort of things some things would be a ...more
If you're looking for a chapter book for a child that is just beginning to have a chapter-book length attention span, this is a great one to start with. The chapters are very short with several illustrations per chapter. We don't ever even learn the name of our narrator - we only know that the main character in our story is the narrator's dad. His father has all kinds of adventures when he goes to a wild island to help rescue a dragon.
Luckily, he brought along his backpack, in which ...more
Luckily, he brought along his backpack, in which ...more
Elmer Elevator, the narrator's father, is nine years old when he meets a talking alley cat, who tells him about his journey to a Wild Island where a baby dragon is held captive, forced to ferry animals across the river that divides the island. Elmer, annoyed with his mother for being rude to the cat, packs twenty-five peanut butter sandwiches, six apples, and assorted gear and stows away on a ship bound for the nearby Tangerina, then crosses a bridge of rocks to explore the island. There he ou...more
My Father's Dragon is a perfect first chapter book to read to your four or five year old because there are pictures on almost every page. The chapters are short and simple, and it moves along at a nice pace. It’s action based, which is what makes it so attractive to younger readers. I think it has special appeal to kids who don’t like to sit still for a book. Both of my sons and my daughter count it as one of their favorite books from childhood.
Briefly, it’s the story of Elmer Elevat...more
Briefly, it’s the story of Elmer Elevat...more
Overall Review: What a sweet, clever, and absolutely charming little tale! I smiled through the whole adventure of little Elmer Elevator trying to save the poor baby dragon from the mean animals of Wild Island! It was such a different telling, as the narrator referred to Elmer as ‘my father’, so it was as if it were being told in the eyes of a child. There were pictures throughout the story as well, and they were such a treat! I laughed out loud with every encounter Elmer had with the anima...more
okay so recently I haven't read any real books. I apologize but I'm fucking inundated in research on the difference between sex typed traits and sex roles and I"m going crazy enough as it is. I will start actually reading again soon I just needed a moment of calm to get through the storm
recently I've started a habit of rereading. I mean are books as good as I thought? I mean I was historically quite a little idiot (just wait till I reread nothing but the truth). Well this book i...more
recently I've started a habit of rereading. I mean are books as good as I thought? I mean I was historically quite a little idiot (just wait till I reread nothing but the truth). Well this book i...more
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I loved this book as a kid, and I seem to recall it was the first chapter book I ever read. (Upon my discover of the Table of Contents, I thought its purpose was so that you could go there and decide which chapter you wanted to read instead of having to read through the whole thing.) Years later I remember having loved it, but very little about the story or the characters, so I decided to give this short Newberry winner a quick read, and it was very quick indeed. Told from the point of view o...more
The first book really worried 4-year-old Logan. He didn't understand why the animals were being so mean to the baby dragon and each chapter brought new worries about what the animals would do to the boy. But we'd talk at the beginning of each chapter about how the boy had everything he needed in his bag to deal with situations that came up and then we'd try to guess which of his random collection of stuff he'd need. He liked the second book better. The third book was brought more worries about w...more
Claire Scott
rated it
What a great adventure for younger readers! The way Elmer Elevator packed every single thing that he needed to make it through Wild Island to rescue the baby dragon -- indicating either great foresight (the alley cat) and predictability (the wild animals) or marvelous coincidence -- is immensely satisfying.
It's rare that books of this age (published 1948) at this accessible reading level hold up so well: books for more accomplished readers often do, but there are few transitional re...more
It's rare that books of this age (published 1948) at this accessible reading level hold up so well: books for more accomplished readers often do, but there are few transitional re...more
This book is about a boy who helps a dragon. He helps the dragon because the gorilla hurts his wing. First he tricks the tigers by giving them chewing gum. Then he tricks the rhinoceros by getting toothpaste and a toothbrush and telling him to brush his tusk. Then he tricks the lion by telling him to brush his hair and put braids in it. Then he tricks the gorilla by giving the monkeys magnifying glasses so they could find the fleas on the gorilla's tummy. Then he tricks the crocodiles b...more
I was surprised to learn this was a Newbery honor book, mainly because it took me just 25 minutes to read it. I'm used to Newberys being more "substantial"--in length, at least. But I can see why kids grades K-3 would enjoy it. The pace is rapid, the danger is never too frightening, and the boy--"my father"--is supremely clever (compared to the wild animals, at least).
I think it would make a fun read-aloud with a classroom, especially if you had kids write predic...more
I think it would make a fun read-aloud with a classroom, especially if you had kids write predic...more
Published in the 1940's, this little chapter book has been around for years. I've read it a couple of times before at school, but this time around with my five-year-old busy buddy. He really got into it and didn't want to stop. There are quite a few black and white illustrations to hold the attention of the younger set. Elmer Elevator takes a trip to wild island with a backpack full of an interesting assortment of items that turn out to be exactly what he needs in his encounters with wild be...more
This book was WONDERFUL! N1 and I sat down to read it yesterday and couldn't put it down. At the end of every chapter, she said, "Just one more!" and since the chapters were 3-4 pages, I obliged. The story is about an adventure that the storyteller's father had - the main character never has a name, but is referred to as "my father" the whole time. He sets off on an adventure to Wild Island to rescue a baby dragon. With only his knapsack full of supplies, he manages to get by...more
Laurie
added it
As a children's bookseller I sold hundreds of copies to people who remembered it from their childhood. They came in looking for it; I had never heard of My Father's Dragon before. Picked it up last week while scanning the library shelves for something to entertain Iris (who likes fantasy). For some reason I'd assumed sweet and saccharine--not at all! Begins with a mean mother and moves on to seriously threatening animals and a cruelly enslaved baby dragon. Iris loves this sort of thing, and I en...more
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this delightful classic. The narrator tells the story of how, as a little boy, his father managed to save the dragon from Wild Island. Ruth Stiles Gannett's first story was published in 1948 and, while the book is a bit dated, it stands up very well. I loved the father's clever actions and looked forward to seeing how he would solve each animal threat in the story. The pictures and maps are charming and add a lot of fun to this quick and easy chapter book...more
he went to wild island and he met a cat and he met 7 tigers, he met a gorill,a he met a lion and he met ... um ... he met a couple monkeys while he was meeting the gorilla and he, uh... and the cat - he didn't find on wild island.
when he grew up he wanted to fly a plane and a cat told him about wild island and he wanted to go there because of the dragon and the dragon can fly and he got out his super sharp jackknife and started cutting through the rope tied to the dragon's neck and ...more
when he grew up he wanted to fly a plane and a cat told him about wild island and he wanted to go there because of the dragon and the dragon can fly and he got out his super sharp jackknife and started cutting through the rope tied to the dragon's neck and ...more
Purchased this book for my children for Christmas this year. I was looking for a good chapter book that wasn't too long and didn't need a lot of explanation for my 4 and 6 year old to understand. They really loved it and were excited each night to read another chapter. A good chapter book for the transition between picture books and books with longer, slightly more involved plots. Not sure what the "reading level" is for this book, as I was reading it TO my children, but was appropriat...more
Destinee Sutton
rated it
With writing is so elegant and illustrations so charming and distinctive, how could I not love this story? True, there's not a whole lot to it--boy meets talking cat, boy runs away from home, boy outsmarts wild animals, boy rescues dragon--but it's a perfect read-aloud for 4- to 7-year-olds. My favorite part is when Elmer brushes the rhino's teeth.
I also really enjoy the fact that even though Elmer is just a little boy to us, he's also the narrator's father, which makes the telling ...more
I also really enjoy the fact that even though Elmer is just a little boy to us, he's also the narrator's father, which makes the telling ...more
Erin Martin
rated it
Recommended to Erin by:
Laurie Shackelford
Shelves:
mollianne-s-chat-and-chew-2010
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Teri
added it
I read this book when I was in like third grade, and, not remembering the title or the author, I went out and searched for it by the pictures. All I could remember was dragons with blue stripes and a little boy. When I saw it sitting on display in a book shop, I knew it was the one I'd read over and over and over until the images were implanted on my brain. I've since read it to my son, who also loved it. I'm sorry, Ms. Gannett, that I didn't immediately recall who created such a wonderfully mag...more
Cindy Jaimes
added it
My Father's Dragon is about a young boy who is narrating a story his father once told him. It's a story about a boy who follows a cat onto a ship and gets lost. He ends up on this island all alone, at least he thinks. As he looks and walks around he meets all of these animals and they can talk! Each animal has a problem and a reason why they won't let him through that section of the island. But the boy somehow negotiates with them and is able to pass. Through this adventure the boy finds out ab...more
Jenna
rated it
Recommends it for:
You and anyone within earshot who wants listen to you read it aloud
Don't let this wee book's appearance fool you; despite its somewhat petite stature, this book is literary giant! Everything I know that is worth knowing was in this book. No exaggeration. Needless to say, it is well worth the hour that may need to be invested in reading it. Encapsulated within its few (but amazing!) pages is the riveting tale of a boy, Elmer Elevator, who runs away from home after being driven away by the heavy hand of his good-for-nothing mother. Accompanied by a friendly alley...more
According to the cat, the beasts of Wild Island have a baby dragon tied up and make him give them rides across the bay. He’s forced to ferry them all day and all night and if he doesn’t, they twist his wings! He doesn’t have any friends, except maybe the alligators, who say "hello" to him maybe once a week if he’s lucky.
After hearing this, the author’s father, Elmer Elevator decides to be a sneak onto a boat bound for the port of Cranberry, on the Island of Tangerina, where...more
After hearing this, the author’s father, Elmer Elevator decides to be a sneak onto a boat bound for the port of Cranberry, on the Island of Tangerina, where...more
This was a nice bedtime read-aloud for my youngest two kids, ages 7 and 9. My husband read this series to our older two kids, and I decided it was time that I read it for myself and let the younger two share in this classic. We finished up the first book in the series and will start the second one tonight. What I liked best about the book is that each chapter seemed to stand alone and made a good stopping point, yet at the same time it also left the kids wanting more and begging me to keep re...more
I found this book competely on accident, searching for books to put of display for Waldenbooks' annual book drive for our Children's Hospital. It was written in 1947, I believe, and there are two more in the series. My Father's Dragon tells the tale of an unnamed boy who discovers from a stray cat that there is a baby dragon being held captive on Wild Island. My father, as he his refered to, runs away to rescue the dragon from the animals who are using him to cross a wide treacherous river.
I'll go ahead and review some of the children's books I adore for you friends with children in your lives. (Note: Claire is nearly 5 years old.) This is the second chapter book we've read to her. It's an easy 10 chapters that includes some illustrations. The story is wonderful, full of adventure, and leaves just the right amount of information out to get youngsters to think ahead as to what may happen next.
This is apart of Claire's homeschool curriculum so I guess it must be good. ...more
This is apart of Claire's homeschool curriculum so I guess it must be good. ...more
I don't really get why this book is so great. The story is boring, and there is no reason it is told from the child's point of view about the father. I just didn't get that. It wasn't a good read-aloud; it was awkward and didn't flow well. My 5 year old didn't love or hate it, but he did like some of the funny illustrations. I guess there is some lesson about helping others (i.e. the father helps the dragon by freeing it) but it isn't the focus of the story. This really was just an "eh"...more
Classic, schmasic. There's more character development and suspense in Harold and the Purple Crayon than there is in My Father's Dragon. In fact, I think this story could make a spectacular picture book, with the right illustrator. It's just a disappointment as a novel because there isn't enough in the text alone to pull you in and make you care about the main character. There are so many other novels for young people that are written much better than this one.
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Ruth Stiles Gannett wrote My Father's Dragon just a few years after her graduation from Vassar College in 1944.
She lives in Upstate New York.
More about Ruth Stiles Gannett...
She lives in Upstate New York.
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